197 - Bourbon Society Showdown

How should a successful bourbon club function? Are there annual dues that go towards hosted events or is it completely unstructured where all business takes place online? We invited the leaders of Louisville, Lexington, Dallas, and Houston bourbon societies to come on the show and talk about how they manage growth and keep participation levels high amongst their members. Show Notes: James “Buddy” Thompson - https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=james-thompson-buddy&pid=192232789&fhid=4753 2019 Eagle Rare Life Award - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICAjPavE4hs This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about flasks. Joining us this week: Kristopher Hart (Houston Bourbon Society), Peter Schmidt (Dallas Bourbon Club), David Bock (The Louisville Bourbon Society), and Matt Preston (Lexington Bourbon Society) Tell us about the purpose of your Bourbon Society. (Events, philanthropy, bottle swapping, barrel picks, etc.) What are the differences between a traditional and non-traditional bourbon society format? What do your events look like? Who are you inviting? Are events completely bourbon focused? Or do you cross over with food, cigars, music, etc.? Is Texas half whiskey/half bourbon or all bourbon? What are the benefits when you pay to be part of a club? Do you feel like your club is more intimate than an online group? Walk us through one of your meetings. What do members get in return for their dues? How do you charge for events? Do your events have consistent participation or are there constantly new people? What challenges do you experience when hosting events? Is it redundant to have multiple local bourbon groups? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices